This I Do
by Blackbetsirose
Summary: Ten's thoughts after the birth of twins. Sort of sequel to The Sky People.


This is a sort of sequel to The Sky People. I don't own Ten, Donna, or Doctor Who. The BBC does.

DWDWDWDW

The Doctor stood at the open doors of the TARDIS looking down upon the planet they had just left. He set the TARDIS to orbit above it, as he wanted to watch it. It was Earth, and it turned in apparent peace. White masses of clouds formed and disappeared, and as the TARDIS passed into the night side of the planet, he noted the lack of lights that would denote Donna's time period. They were still in the time period of the Navajo family with whom they'd shared a birthing.

Behind him, sleeping on a low pallet, were the three most important beings in his life. His wife, and their three day old twin children. One boy, one girl, both blessed with their mother's vibrant red hair, and blue of eye. They'd given them Gallifreyan names that couldn't be spoken aloud. He and Donna had chosen to honor their Navajo hosts who'd helped with the births with names from that culture as their chosen names. Ooljee, meaning moon for the girl, and Niyol, meaning wind for the boy, as they'd been born during a brisky night.

Sometimes looking at them, brought his past to breathe on him as he remembered his first wife, and their children all lost now. He'd loved them, as he loved Donna and the twins. But he would say that Donna and the twins were more of a miracle than the children of his first marriage.

DWDWDWDW

He thought back to those terrible days of the metacrisis when it looked so much like Donna would die. She had known that for him to save her if no other option could be found, she would lose her memories of him, her life with him, what she'd become because of this life, and her love for him and his for her. She refused, saying she'd rather die than lose that. Struggling with the crushing, hot pain, she'd begged him and the TARDIS to find another way. At the last minute, the TARDIS had enveloped her in a stasis field halting all biological function, metacrisis or otherwise. This had bought the Doctor and his timeship some time (and oh how he felt the irony of that) to find a solution. They'd gone from world to world looking for possibilities.

In the end it was a trip to Cardiff, Torchwood and Jack that had provided the solution. Nanogenes. Jack had some hidden away from that day in 1941. They'd been hidden in the room he'd used when he'd been a companion, and left there when the events on the Gamestation had happened. After time was restored from the Year That Never Was, he'd gone into his room and retrieved them. They'd been in a vault in the Torchwood Hub ever since. The Doctor and Jack quickly put them to use on Donna, changing her physical biology to that of a Gallifreyan. Whether or not she'd regenerate in the future was a question they didn't want to test, and since there was no more Untempered Schism for her to look into, she wouldn't become a Time Lady. But she'd be able to handle the Time Lord consciousness, and she'd have a significantly longer lifespan.

He remembered the long wait to see if the nanogenes would work. Jack insisted on staying as the Doctor looked a wreck. The Doctor didn't put up much of an argument. Twenty-four hours later, Donna woke up. And the relief filled the room as it appeared the metacrisis was resolved. Donna was alive, and well, and standing before the Doctor with a wide smile. She held out her arms, and the Doctor was in them in seconds. Jack counted silently in his head and made it to ten before the Doctor caught Donna's lips with his. Sensing some much needed privacy, Jack tactfully withdrew from the room.

DWDWDWDW

The Doctor was interrupted from his ruminations by a snuffling sound from behind him. He turned and looked, smiling when he watched Donna reach out her hand and rest it on the arm of one of the twins whose face had crinkled in a frown. He watched the baby's face smooth out at the gentle caress of it's mother, and drift back into sleep.

He faced the rotating planet below once more, and thought about the other planets he'd been to while Donna had been in stasis. So many knew of the DoctorDonna and revered her. There was T'Srinlanau, where the highest honor of that world was to have a T' at the beginning of your name. When he'd visited the capital, there had been a statue near the river, with a shrine that had native flora decorating it. The name carved below the statue had read "T'Donna. Powerful Woman of Creation. Saviour of us all."

Another place he had visited was Essannsus. A world with three distinct civilizations, all very matriarchal with their powers that be called Great Mothers, and often at odds with one another. But one thing that the Essui, Annui, and Susui could agree on was that Donna was The Great Noble Mother.

And finally, the Avarantine. The Living Jewels. Sentient beings of living crystal, entirely telepathic. They were known throughout the universe as great artisans. Societies from all over the universe commissioned statues, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and what have you of the DoctorDonna. They had no name for her, as their society demanded revered beings have no name.

He had visited these places and more hoping to find some way to save Donna. And in this journey he'd seen how she really had become the most important woman in all creation. When he'd told her of it, she'd deflected it as was her way. Then he'd shown it to her. He wasn't sure that even now she believed him. But she would. If it took him the remainder of his lives to show her, she would see it.

DWDWDWDW

A cry broke though his thoughts this time, and he saw Donna and the twins begin to stir. He closed the doors, and walked over to his family. Donna was already sitting up and nursing their daughter, and he picked up his son to try to entertain him until it was time for his feed. At that moment, as he looked at his family, he wasn't sure there was ever a time in his long life that he was this happy.


End file.
